Safety Rules for Printmaking Studios

Who may use the Printmaking studio?
Only students currently enrolled in a printmaking class or who have express permission from a Fine Arts professor may use the Printmaking Studios.

What equipment and areas can I use?
You can only use equipment and areas you have been authorized to use. This varies for each class. If you are unsure of how to use a piece of equipment or how to do a particular process, always ask a faculty member or monitor for assistance.

What safety precautions should I take while working in the Printmaking Studio?
You must always wear shoes. Flip-flops or sandals are not permitted. Smoking, alcoholic beverages or drug use are not allowed in the Printmaking Studios. You must wear protective gloves, and a dust mask, respirator or goggles as needed, when you are working with toxic and hazardous materials. Use the spray booth when you use large amounts of hazardous materials. Do not eat or drink in the print studios.

Is the press dangerous to use?
When the press is properly used it is perfectly safe. Never place your fingers under or near the rollers. Keep your hands away from the press bed or any moving parts when the press is in use. You should only have your hands on the handle or designated areas when operating the presses. Remove jewelry or secure loose clothing or hair that could get caught in the press. Do not force anything through the presses.

What happens if I damage or break a piece of equipment?
You can be held financially liable if you break or damage a piece of equipment through misuse, carelessness or negligence. If you are unsure of how to use a piece of equipment or how to do a particular process, always ask a faculty member or the printmaking professor for assistance.

When I am finished working, what do I have to clean up and where do I put used rags?
You must clean up and put away everything you use. Give yourself at least 15 minutes to do this. Wear gloves when cleaning up with mineral spirits, vegetable oil or Simple Green. Wipe down all surfaces with simple green. Rags containing inks, solvents or other hazardous substances must be placed in the red safety cans. Do not put solvents or other hazardous materials in the sink or. Do not leave any paper or other materials out when you are not working in the Printmaking Studios: they will be thrown away. You are not finished working until you have cleaned up.

Printmaking: Etching

Use of Solvents

Cleaning of all etching grounds, aquatints, and residual ink in the printing plates must occur in xxxxx.
Wear gloves when using solvents to limit contact with skin.
Use volatile solvents like denatured alcohol and lacquer thinner sparingly.
First clean up ink on slabs with razor scraper before using solvent.
Scrape excess ink into ink residual container, (usable ink can be put back in can).
Dispose of rags in red safety container.
Tarlartan and in-process rags are store in specific containers.
No open solvent containers.

Acid Etching Room

Wear eye protection when observing plates in acid during the etching process.
Where gloves when removing plate from acid bath.
Report any spillage immediately to faculty.
If acid comes in contacts with an eye, there is an eye wash station in the acid etching room. Run the water for 30 seconds to flush the unit, hold eye open, and wash eye for fifteen minutes. Any eye injury should be examined by a physician.

Aquatint

Use ventilating fans while applying and fusing aquatint.
Use the rack to move the plate.

Printmaking: Lithography

Use of Acid

Handle the acid drip bottle with care. Do not remove it from the designated area. Wear a face shield for protection, and wash hands after handling bottle.
If acid comes in contacts with an eye, there is an eye wash station in the acid etching room. Run the water for 30 seconds to flush the unit, hold eye open, and wash eye for fifteen minutes. Any eye injury should be examined by a physician.

Use of Solvents

Washing out of the image must occur under the ventilation hood.
Wear gloves when using solvents to limit contact with skin.
Use volatile solvents like denatured alcohol and lacquer thinner sparingly.
First clean up ink on slabs with razor scraper before using solvent.
Scrape excess ink into residual container (usable ink can be put back in can).
Dispose of rags in red safety container.

Handling the Litho Stones

To avoid injury, use the proper technique demonstrated by the teacher when moving and carrying lithography stones.

Screen Printing

Many of the materials in Screen Printing are non-toxic because they are water based, and certified by the American Arts and Crafts Institute. This includes the inks, extender base, and screen filler. However, the students are advised of these potentially hazardous situations, and are directed to take the following precautions:

Protective gloves are to be worn when handling photo-sensitive emulsion, emulsion sensitizer, and emulsion remover.

If the use of a solvent such as denatured alcohol, lacquer thinner, or paint thinner is required in screen cleaning or some other process, the material is to be used in the solvent booth, Rm. xxx, and protective gloves used.

The student will not ordinarily use Haze Remover Paste in screen cleaning unless under the supervision of the Instructor. Haze Remover Paste must be used with protective goggles and gloves. It is a strong alkaline and will burn skin with prolonged contact. (Flush with cold water).If there are any medical or physical conditions that may pose a health hazard to the student, this condition must be brought to the attention of the Instructor.

The screenprinting studio must be kept clean in accordance to the procedure outlined by the Instructor. (see Housekeeping)

At the end of the semester, the students work space must be cleaned, and any equipment used by the student must be cleaned and returned, or the final grade will be withheld.

Failure to comply with safety rules after one verbal and one written warning will result in lowering the grade by one full point.

Photomechanical Printmaking

Equipment

Light exposure unit emits strong UV light that is harmful to your eyes. Do not look directly at this light.
Ventilation must be turned on when processing film in darkroom sink. (Switch is on left of sink).
Wear goggles and gloves when mixing chemicals.
Discard exhausted fixer solution directly into the silver recovery tank, next to darkroom sink.

Procedures

Always add chemicals to water, not the other way around.
Bamboo tongs are to be used when developing film in trays.